03/19/2009 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

        HB  63-COUNCIL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: MEMBERS, STAFF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:42:55 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MENARD announced the consideration of CSHB 63(FIN).                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   ANNA  FAIRCLOUGH,   Alaska  State   Legislature,                                                               
sponsor of  HB 63, said  several issues  were raised at  the last                                                               
committee  meeting  regarding  taking personnel  from  an  exempt                                                               
status  to   a  nonexempt   status  with   union  representation.                                                               
Representative  Fairclough didn't  know if  the change  in health                                                               
insurance  would require  duplicate  deductibles  and she  didn't                                                               
know if they would lose money,  but she was told that there would                                                               
be a pay reduction by moving  to the nonexempt status. There were                                                               
a  variety  of  other  issues.   She  has  been  assured  by  the                                                               
administration that  all of  the issues have  been taken  care of                                                               
through an amendment.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:44:27 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said if  this amendment is adopted, the                                                               
pay of the six staff would stay  the same as they cross over into                                                               
the  classified  position. It  would  happen  immediately on  the                                                               
effective date, which will be  simultaneous with when health care                                                               
coverage changes, so  there is no issue of past  deductibles or a                                                               
pre-exemption problem.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MEYER  moved  Amendment 1,  labeled:  26-LS0138\T.1,  as                                                               
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, lines 29 - 30:                                                                                                     
          Delete "is [AND STAFF ARE] in the exempt service                                                                  
        under AS 39.25.110 and staff members are in the                                                                     
     classified service under AS 39.25.100"                                                                                 
          Insert "and staff are in the exempt service under                                                                     
     AS 39.25.110"                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4, lines 11 - 13:                                                                                                     
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Hearing no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:45:39 AM                                                                                                                    
FATE PUTMAN,  Assistant Business Manager, Alaska  State Employees                                                               
Association (ASEA),  Juneau, said his union  will represent these                                                               
employees once  they return to  classified service. The  union is                                                               
not  the  health  insurer;  the health  trust  is  a  stand-alone                                                               
entity. He was  told that as employees move  from select benefits                                                               
to  the health  trust, they  will receive  a COBRA  notice and  a                                                               
certificate of credible coverage.  The certificate will eliminate                                                               
the  waiting  period  for a  pre-existing  condition.  They  will                                                               
immediately get  health coverage without any  loss of deductibles                                                               
or co-pay, since  they will transfer on July 1,  which is the end                                                               
of the plan year. ASEA has  no objection to moving employees from                                                               
exempt status  to classified status.  It has no objection  to not                                                               
using the recruitment process in this one case.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH said the certificate  is very important. It covers                                                               
pre-existing conditions. It is a great solution.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MENARD said the sponsor has worked hard on this.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:48:08 AM                                                                                                                    
CHRIS  ASHENBRENNER,  Executive  Director,  Council  on  Domestic                                                               
Violence and  Sexual Assault, Juneau,  said the  council strongly                                                               
supports  this  bill.  It  will   strengthen  the  council.  "The                                                               
addition of corrections,  the addition of a  rural public member,                                                               
the  extension of  terms they  serve  will make  it stronger  and                                                               
enhance their ability to fight  these crimes." She is grateful to                                                               
the sponsor. This is a  group of dedicated hardworking staff, and                                                               
this gives them some protection.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:49:13 AM                                                                                                                    
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  moved to  report CSHB  63(FIN), as  amended, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note(s). There being no objection,  SCS CSHB 63(STA) moved out of                                                               
committee.